‘It’s more auto, less show’

Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, Hyundai's president of research and product development, poses next to the Hyundai Genesis which was named the 2009 North American Car of the Year at the NAIAS in Detroit on Sunday, January 11, 2009.

Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star

Few frills at NAIAS this year

Amid an unprecedented global financial crisis that is hammering auto sales and with three domestic automakers on life support, organizers are counting on the North American International Auto Show to lift the spirits of an entire industry.

New product unveilings and a focus on alternative-fuel technology highlighted the press preview of the show in Cobo Center. Missing were the glitz, glamour and excitement of years gone by.

There were no fake mountains, streams, cattle stampedes or company CEOs driving vehicles through plate glass windows.

“There certainly are changes with the press reveals,” said Doug Fox, NAIAS co-chairman. “In the past we’ve had some very dramatic press reveals. We’ve had a skating rink, a cattle drive, a Jeep driving through the Cobo front window. Those kinds of things are not being done from an expense standpoint.

“But when you walk into the show, the elaborate nature of the displays are all the same.” Fox said. “There have been shavings here and there,” such as eliminating multi-level, wood floor platforms and showing fewer concept cars.

“It’s a little more about the auto and a little less about the show,” he said.

Essentially, it was all business. Ford and Volkswagen‘s presentations are mostly unchanged from a year ago. General Motors and Chrysler have stripped down their exhibit areas to resemble showroom floors.

“There’s definitely a different tone to the show this year,” said Juan Cuellar, a Latin American freelancer who has attended the past 10 years. “It’s hard to say why, but there’s less excitement for some reason.”

Little acknowledgement of the industry’s ills could be found during any of the dozen or more news conferences Sunday.

Ford president Alan Mulally made brief mention of 2009 being “a challenging year” and then immediately launched into product unveilings designed to bring automobile buyers back into the domestic fold.

Throwing their lot behind alternative-fuel technologies, Ford, GM and Chrysler all unveiled hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicles designed not only to attract consumers who favour a low carbon footprint and fuel-efficient vehicles, but also those who are seeking performance, power and sleek design.

Ford and GM also pumped up the enthusiasm levels at their news conferences by bringing in hundreds of employees to wave signs, applaud and scream at appropriate moments.

GM workers, many of whom arrived before 7 a.m., carried bright green and blue signs that read “Here to Stay” and “Charged Up.”

“It was important to show our support of the company, even if we were encouraged to come to this event,” said Richard Bakersfield, a GM worker with 20 years of seniority. “There’s nothing wrong with showing support for a company that has provided you with a good living.”

CONCESSIONS FEARED

Outside the show centre Sunday, other autoworkers marched and carried protest signs to draw attention to the wage and benefit concessions they fear will be part of any rescue plan to save the Detroit Three automakers. Wendy Thompson, a United Auto Workers retiree and protest organizer, said autoworkers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border must stand united in the fight to preserve North American jobs.

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“I think we cannot fight among ourselves as workers,” Thompson said. “There are things and work that need to be done, so let’s stick together and make sure people are put to work.”

There were other signals that the atmosphere at this year’s auto show is more subdued.

In the past Chrysler would take over the downtown Detroit Firehall and throw a lavish party for industry insiders, media and assorted hangers-on. That was cancelled this year.

Numerous other company-sponsored parties and receptions have been either scaled back or cancelled. But those decisions affect just the media and industry insiders. They will have little or no impact on the appearance of the show once it opens to the public Saturday.

The public will notice the absence of Nissan, Infiniti, Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Porsche and Ferrari — all of which decided not to be part of this year’s show.

But while the glitz and glamour on the opening day of press previews was scaled back and the vehicle unveilings somewhat more subdued, there’s still no shortage of product on display for the motoring public.

With the addition of more Chinese automakers, as well as Lotus, Aston Martin and Tesla, there are more automakers with displays than there were last year.